Improvement in folding-tables



"UNITED STATES PATENT CEEICE.

BETER S. CRAWFORD, OF WOODSTOOK, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING-TABLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 166,263, dated August 3, 1875 application tiled July 16, 1875.

To alt lwhom '5t may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER S. CRAWFORD, of Woodstock, in the county of McHenry, in the State of Illinois, have made certain Improvements in Folding-Tables, of which the following is a specification:

The object of this invention is to produce a table, that the legs can be folded up against the under side of the top, and be securely held when so folded, or as securely held when the legs are suppporting the table and they are in upright position, altogether forming a cheap and durable table; and it consists in the construction of the device, as will be fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure l represents the under side of the table, with one pair of legs' standing, and the other folded in perspective; and Fig. 2, a detached and enlarged part.

A represents the table or platen, of any form or size. B B are notched and journal blocks made fast to the under side of the table by screws x x or other equivalent means. Each block B has a central uprightufnotch, b, and ahorizontal notch, b', extending from notch b outward to the end, and on its upper side wide enough to receive the supporting-leg of the table 5 and also a transverse bore, b, horizontally and transversely through the block, which is nearer the upper side of the block than the lower side, as seen in Fig. 2. O O are transverse rock-shafts, having each a bearingjournal, c, at one end, a bearing journal, c', at a distance from the opposite end c, and both bearing -journals c and c pass through and turn in the journal-blocks B in bore b, as seen in Fig. l. The distance between the shoulders of bearings o and o is less than between the bearing-blocks B. D D are the supporting-legs to the table, and are secured in the rock-shafts C so as to'turn therewith,

one of them close to the shoulder of journal c, and the other outside of journal c in part c of shaft G, as seen in Fig. l. e is a coiled or other spring, one end fast to the rock-shaft O, and the other to the inside of block B.

As thus constructed and arranged, one of the legs of a pair will be on the inside ofone ofthe blocks B, and the other leg of the pair will be on the outside of the other block B, and the notched sides of the blocks B will be next the legs, as seen in Fig. l. p

In operation, and the legs in upright position to fold them, the rock-shaft and legs will be reciprocated longitudinally of the shaft, to force the legs out of notches b, and against the power of the spring; and, when so out of the notches, are free to turn over against the top. When so turned the spring will act to return the rock-shaft back, and bring the legs into notches b', when they will be securely held folded there. To unfold the legs it is necessary to reverse the motion, and turn the-legs into an upright position, when the spring will again force the legs into the notches 7J, and the legs will be secured in position to have the table on its legs.

Having thusdescribed my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the rock-shaft O, legs D, and spring e, with the notched blocks B, constructed and operatingsubstantially as de' scribed.

2. The blocks B, having the notches b and b', and bore b, as and for the purposes described.

PETER S- CRAWFORD.

Witnesses:

P. H. GILMORE, ELAM FELT. 

